A day after the names of 207 candidates were released by the Samajwadi Party, some sitting MlAs and others who were denied tickets deserted the party.
Around 20 sitting SP legislators were denied tickets for being camp followers of Shivpal Yadav after the war of attrition propelled Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to the helm. Three sitting SP legislators deserted the party on Saturday and many more were likely to follow suit in coming days.
Pubicly accusing Akhilesh Yadav for grabbing the party from his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, the disgruntled leaders were now vowing to defeat SP candidates in their respective districts.
Early on Saturday morning, senior SP leader Ambika Chaudhary deserted the party and joined Bahujan Samaj Party in the presence of party chief Mayawati during a press conference. The exit of Chaudhary stunned the party brass, as he was not only the tallest SP leader in east UP, but his name was also recommended by Mulayam Singh to son Akhilesh Yadav for a party ticket for the Assembly elections. But Akhilesh was not impressed and refused a ticket to Chaudhary from Fefna Assembly seat of Ballia.
SP sources said Mulayam Singh was particularly saddened by the exit of Chaudhary as he was associated with the party since its inception and had won all Assembly polls since 1993. In the 2012 Assembly poll, though Chaudhary lost but Mulayam Singh had not only accommodated him in the Upper House of the UP legislature, but also got him inducted as a minister in Akhilesh Yadav cabinet.
Cabinet minister and Akhilesh loyalist Rajendra Chaudhary however dismissed the exit of Ambika Chaudhary as `routine’. ``Such defections from one party to the other is a routine matter during the time of elections and committed party leaders never indulge in such acts,’’ he said.
Besides, SP MlA from Etah Sadar Ashish Yadav also resigned from the primary membership and joined the BSP. Son of UP legislative Council chairman Ramesh Yadav, Ashish was denied ticket by the party on Friday and a former district panchayat chairman Jogendra Singh Yadav was fielded in his place.
Ashish is close to the Shivpal faction and had criticised Ram Gopal Yadav during the family feud. After his name went missing from the klist of candidates, Ashish accused Ram Gopal of denying him the ticket and vowed to defeat the SP candidates in Etah district.
Three more SP MlAs - Rampal Yadav from Sitapur, Ramveer Singh Yadav from Ferozabad and Ashfaq Ali from Amroha,— who were denied tickets, decided to contest on lok Dal tickets in the Assembly polls.
SP MlA from Biswa (Sitapur) Rampal Yadav had earlier revolted against the party after his illegal building was razed in lucknow and he was summarily expelled from the party. later, Shivpal Yadav withdrew his expulsion and also fielded him. But his name was missing from the list issued by Akhilesh Yadav on Friday.
Mulayam aide Ramveer Singh Yadav from Jasrana in Ferozabad was also denied ticket. Similar was the case of Ashfaq Ali form Amroha seat. This forced the duo to search for alternatives. All the three MlAs on Saturday joined the lok Dal led by Sunil Singh.
Akhilesh Yadav has also denied ticket to his cousin, Abhishek Yadav, whom he had earlier declared as a candidate from Karhal constituency in Mainpuri. Abhishek is presently the Chairman of Etawah district panchayat.
Other Shivpal loyalists who were denied tickets include Nashi Khan, daughter of sitting MlA Zeenat Khan from Patiyali seat of Kasganj , Maharaj Singh Dhangar (Tundla) and Om Prakash Verma (sitting MlA of Shikohabad).
Daughter of noted Hindi poet Gopal Das Neeraj, Kundanika Sharma, who joined the SP last year, was also denied ticket. She however claimed that she has been assured by the party to contest under the symbol of Congress, once the alliance is announced.